Why do I spend hours and hours hammering at a keyboard staring at indented sentences, lines and paragraphs of languages machines speak? Because all the countless fields of science; medicine, biology, mathematics, electronics and so on — have one thing in common: Intelligence. Without intelligence, there would be no science. And artificial intelligence promises mass producing it.

Intelligence is the Root of Science

Intelligence is the root and power of every branch in science. Without intelligence, there would be no science. When I entered the academia full force, I asked myself what the most important (and interesting) field was — what has the most potential of all? The answer I came up with wasn’t a specific field of study, but intelligence in general. How do you put that notion into practice? Artificially. You replicate intelligence as it appears in nature, implement it in a reproducible machine. Suddenly you have something new: The Possible Mass Production of Intelligence.

Mass Producing Intelligence

This is what we’re doing already. Every step in automation, every added ability of machines to handle tasks they couldn’t do before. Every neural network and every genetic algorithm; Each is a mass producable, mass-copyable unit of intelligence, waiting to be put to use. We don’t consider our junkmail filters very smart, but only 20 years ago sorting (physical) junk mail was only manageable by Humans. We don’t consider the autofocus of our cameras smart, but it recognizes faces. Again, a task no machine could do 20 years ago (fine examples of the A.I. effect).

Many consider today’s humanoid robots petty when compared to actual humans, but 20 years ago we didn’t have humanoid robots at all. Let alone humanoid robots you could buy for $1000 through the web. We’re advancing the machines. Fast.

From Automation to Intelligence

We’re on the gradient fast track from automation to intelligence, and with every step of the way we’re opening up new solutions to humanity’s troubles. By building intelligent machines we’re advancing in all scientific fields, because a machine can help us process scientific data, optimize production, minimize costs and even invent new means by which we can reach our goals. No one can claim there’s enough intelligence in the world. In fact, many (wrongly) claim the exact opposite. With the vast increase of information buildup we’re seeing in our electronic dawn of times, we need brainpower to understand and organize it. But it doesn’t have to be manpower — the good ol’ 1400g Crimson Jelly. It can be artificial brainpower. The new, ever advancing machines.

Artificial Intelligence isn’t only an incredibly powerful tool to simulate (and thereby understand) the vast complexity that is our minds. Once created, the simulations become a tool applicable to a high number of problems from all corners of our existence.

That’s a great question Kuiper. I’m quite sure we’ll start perceiving robots as having a culture in some form or another, long before they come close to anything resembling a consciousness (my point being that it might happen sooner than later). We do, after all, notice culture-like traits in a few other, lesser, species.

You should check out Minsky’s (somewhat related) paper on “Communication with Alien Intelligences“. It provides some foundation for understanding what different intelligences have in common. Easy and quick read.

Hello hththt … just asking about content here – what did you have in mind when you wrote that:

‘the countless fields of science; medicine, biology, mathematics, electronics and so on — all have one thing in common: Intelligence.’

I’m requesting clarification, actually: The intelligence of what? Of the scientists involved in making past breakthroughs? Of the individuals that are learning the science? If so, how is artificial intelligence connected to your earlier point of how intelligence powers the fields of science?

It seems slightly incongrous to me, though if I mentally erase the introduction I found the remaining paragraphs to be focused and informative, teaching me new things that I hadn’t thought about.